1. Field of the Invention
This relates to movable machinery, including hand-held, portable, self propelled and similar machinery, and including saws, drills for example coring drills, cutting and grinding machinery and other machinery for treating concrete, paving, masonry and the like.
2. Related Art
Machinery design for movable machinery takes into account the function of the machinery, strength and reliability, cost of materials and similar considerations. Machine design sometimes results in machines that are difficult to maneuver and heavy. Depending on the application, machinery such as saws are made primarily of metal parts and sometimes plastic housings, switches or controls to lower the weight of the product.
While it should be understood that the present inventions may apply to a wide variety of different types of movable machinery, the present discussion and examples will be directed to wall saws, such as those used to cut lines or openings in walls, such as those made by Dimas and sold under model number 360-1500H or 360-2100S, the instruction manuals for which are incorporated herein by reference. Elements of model No. 360-2100S are also described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,418, also incorporated herein by reference.
One example of a wall saw is shown in FIGS. 1-2, in which are shown a concrete wall 100 (FIG. 1) a track 102 mounted to the wall through clamps 104 and having a gear track 106 along which the saw 108 travels. A typical saw includes a carriage 110, a bearing housing and assembly 112, a gearbox 114, saw blade 116 and a blade guard 118 (FIGS. 1 and 2).
Considering the saw and track in more detail with respect FIG. 2, the bracket 104 includes leveling screws 120 and track 102 is mounted to the brackets 104 through cap screws 122. The saw is mounted and retained on the track through retention rollers 124 positioned at least at respective ends of four legs extending downwardly from the carriage 110 alongside the track. Only one retention roller 124 is shown in FIG. 2. A plurality of guide rollers 126 are supported by the carriage 110 and guide the carriage along the track. A manual travel control 128 is accessible from the top of the saw. The travel control 128 is turned with a suitable wrench so as to move a gear (not shown) under the carriage along the track rack 106 through a series of intermediate gears.
The bearing housing and assembly 112 include an outer housing 130 and suitable gears, drive shaft and bearings. The assembly 112 receives drive input from a hydraulic drive motor (not shown) mounted to the housing opposite the gearbox 114 and drives the saw blade through the gearbox 114. The assembly 112 also includes gears for positioning the blade relative to the work piece, such as the concrete wall 100 (FIG. 1).
A blade depth control 132 (FIG. 2) is also accessible from the top of the saw. It is turned with a suitable wrench so as to move the gear (not shown) in the bearing assembly 112, which then pivots the gearbox about the drive shaft, which in turn adjusts the position of the saw blade relative to the work piece.
The gearbox 114 transmits drive power to the saw blade mounted to a blade drive shaft through inner and outer blade flanges 134. The blade flanges 134 also include internal structures for passing fluid along the sides of the saw blade. A blade guard coupler 136 mounts a blade guard support 138 to a blade guard support bracket for supporting the blade guard.